Sunscreen for your Plants

How to xeriscape—or prepare your garden for the hot summer sun

Q: Every summer, when the heat finally comes, I start hearing about “xeriscaping.” (Or is it “xeroscaping”?) What is this, science fiction?

A: It is said, perhaps apocryphally, that in the 1970s, somewhere near the mile-high city of Denver, conservationists coined the word xeriscaping blending landscape with the classical Greek root xer (“dry”) to promote gardening techniques that use less water. It is often misspelled as “xeroscaping”(or even worse, “zeroscaping”), malapropisms that evoke depressing volcanic rock wastelands with solitary, straggly yucca plants stuck in the middle, of the kind often found near fast-food restaurants.

In any case, xeriscaping simply means creating a drought-tolerant landscape—a smart idea in a changing climate, especially one with such dry summers as ours. Done well, the technique creates stylish, colorful, sustainable gardens.

In western Oregon, drought occurs only in summer (for about three months, give or take), so plants that tolerate wet winters but survive without extra watering in summer are ideal for xeriscaping here. Look for plants adapted for the world’s Mediterranean-type climates. Great choices include: